[Elecraft] Vetical Antennas

[Stuart Rohre]

I have toyed with adding 160m to an existing "80 to 10m band" vertical by 
the simple expedient of placing an 80m trap at the top of the vertical, then 
leading off a wire to make an L antenna with enough horizontal length to 
load the whole on 160m.

Remember, you get nearly the efficiency of a dipole with 60 per cent of its 
length.  That implies that if you had 30 per cent of a dipole for 160, and 
added that to your vertical, you should have reasonably efficiency on 160. 
(with a proper radial system).  Now this is an L operated against ground, 
and likely it would benefit from as many radials as you can place at the 
base of the vertical section.   Many short radials are better than too few 
long ones, and at 160m, about the only types the average ham can manage will 
be short radials.

Even better, is if you could rig your vertical to lay over for attaching the 
160m wire extension, and then take it back off when your interests lie with 
the higher bands.  That reduces the add on to only a wire, no trap needed. 
Tilt mounts are available for the Gap verticals, and a similar home made 
mount could be fabricated from angle irons from the local home center store, 
or hardware store.

Stuart
K5KVH